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blog Productivity

Productivity for those who want more time

Do you need to put an end to your procrastination and increase your productivity? Want to learn how to produce more in less time? Then read the tips we have prepared for you in this article. They are valuable productivity tips for you who want more time with the family, for leisure or simply to rest.

What is productivity?

Productivity is one of the most discussed topics in the routines of professionals and companies, if not the most recurring. And it’s no wonder, after all, productivity influences the agility of a business, a person’s work capacity, efficiency, optimization, and even the value of a service or product on the market.

But, what is productivity?

It’s the ability to perform as many activities as possible with less use of resources. In general, productivity is related to two indicators:

  • The quantity or quality of work done and;
  • The resources used to get the job done.

Tips on how to increase productivity and save up to 2x more time

Being productive means getting more done in less time. And it can make all the difference in your business. After all, you certainly have to deal with a lot of different demands every day.

And if you have a hard time solving or doing all tasks on time, you could end up hurting your career or your business.

Therefore, in this article, we have separated some tips to help you manage your time efficiently. And, consequently, increase your productivity to have more time at the end of the day for you to do what you want. Whether spending time with the family or investing in a personal project.

Check out the following tips.

1. Eliminate obstacles

eliminate obstacles for productivity

In short, productivity is related to time, the number of resources used and the amount produced.

And if you are a person who is always saying you don’t have time for anything, you may be facing many obstacles in your routine that take your time and make tasks longer and more tiring. Therefore, the first point is to define what the obstacles are.

  • What is taking more time in your daily life, more than it should?
  • And when you see an obstacle, what can you do today to solve it?
  • That is, what activities are unnecessary and can be eliminated?

Thinking and evaluating these questions will help you to have a clear view of how you are using your time.

2. Make a to-do list

to-do list to increase productivity

Once you have identified the obstacles that make your routine unproductive, build weekly and monthly task lists. They are important because they will direct your work and your day.

When you divide a large project into small steps or tasks, it becomes easier to carry it out, and it will be easier to achieve the goal or expected results.

You can use an agenda to make your to-do list, as well as using Google Calendar, for example.

The important thing is to list the tasks, at least one day before. This way, you will not waste time organizing, you will be able to take action.

3. Organize your work environment

organize your work and your mind

It may seem like an absurd tip, but what many people don’t realize is that disorganization in the external environment, also causes mental disorganization. In this way, more time and energy is needed to perform quality work.

After all, productivity is not just about productivity and time, but also about quality and the appropriate use of resources.

Also, who likes to work in a polluted or disorganized environment?

A good work environment is one in which you or your team are comfortable to perform activities efficiently.

So, organize your mind, if you need maximum concentration to perform a certain task, ask for the collaboration of others. If you work at home, talk to your family.

And always organize your table the way you feel comfortable and can find what you need without difficulty.

4. Set goals and objectives to improve productivity

If you start a project without a defined goal, you don’t know where to start, let alone what to do to accomplish it. It’s like leaving the house and going around the block because you don’t know where you’re going.

The same goes for activities and your routine. They need to have a well-defined goal and objective. It’s this objective that will indicate what the expected result is, as well as where you want to go when performing a certain task.

In doing so, the chances of achieving the result increases, as does your productivity.

5. Organize and plan your week

As well as the importance of the task list, organizing and planning the week is essential for increasing productivity.

And if you feel that you have difficulty starting your activities, or that you are always rushing to deliver your work on time, understand that perhaps this may be a lack of organization and planning.

Therefore, determine a specific day to list and organize your routine. So, if something unexpected happens, you can reorganize yourself more easily. After all, with an organized agenda, you have a broad view of what you need to do.

In addition, you can measure your performance by crossing out tasks as they are done.

6. Bet on time management

Time is the most important resource in our routine. However, if you cannot manage it correctly, it becomes impossible to have discipline, punctuality, and efficiency in your activities. As a result, you become an unproductive person.

Time management means the ability to know how to use it consciously to:

  • Increase yield;
  • Optimize the performance of tasks;
  • Reduce levels of stress and anxiety due to delays, rework, and activities left to the last hour.

In a nutshell, it’s about learning to have more control over your personal and professional routine. It has to do with how you manage time, that is, how much you spend on each activity.

And a very effective method to help you manage your time better is the Pomodoro Technique.

In short, it’s about working 25 minutes on a task without interruption, and at the end of that time, you take a 5-minute break to rest your mind.

After completing four cycles of 25 minutes of work, plus a 5-minute break, you can take a longer break of 15 to 20 minutes.

This technique will help you not only better manage and manage your time, but it will also help you become more productive, as you tend to focus on one thing at a time.

7. Do one thing at a time

And speaking of focusing on one thing at a time, this is an extremely important tip.

If you believe that to be productive you need to do four or five tasks at the same time, then stop what you are doing.

By focusing on just one task you can more easily remove those obstacles from the first tip, in addition to carrying out activities with greater efficiency and quality.

8. Invest in technology to increase productivity

technology to boost productivity

Last but not least: use technology to your advantage to increase productivity and save time.

There are people who believe that the internet can be a big villain for productivity. However, it can help you in countless ways.

Like, for example: eliminating unnecessary tasks, automating repetitive tasks, organizing processes and archiving documents and information in a simple and practical way.

In conclusion, what about learning to increase your Productivity and Organize your Personal and Business Routine, in a practical and easy way? 

Finally, what did you think about this content? What do you usually do to improve your productivity? Leave your opinion in the comments and share this material with your friends.

Reference material 

  1. YouTube – Personal and Business Productivity     
  2. Set a productivity routine – Google Calendar + Evernote + Calendly   
  3. Organize na Pratica – Courses 

Categories
blog Evernote

Increase productivity in meetings using Evernote

With an agenda in your hands, you arrive at the meeting ready to contribute and make the meeting faster and more objective. Thus, we will show in this article how to increase productivity in meetings using Evernote. As well as listing the benefits of using the system for this purpose. Keep reading to learn.

Advantages of using Evernote in meetings

increase productivity in meetings using Evernote

Evernote’s main objective is to increase productivity by making important information available intuitively on your computer or mobile devices. In addition, it allows this information to be accessed anytime and anywhere practically.

This way, it’s seen as a smart system that can make your meetings faster and more efficient.

Check below the main advantages of using Evernote to increase productivity in meetings.

1. Access guidelines and notes anywhere

Most people like post-its and go out and write down important information on colored papers.

However, you can’t go out carrying post-its anywhere and risk losing some information.

This is where Evernote comes into play.

It can be accessed anytime and anywhere, whether, on a desktop computer or a mobile device, your meeting minutes, or your calendar will always be with you.

In addition, it has an automatic synchronization even in offline mode, so you will never lose your notes, even if you don’t have internet access at the time of the meeting.

So, the whole process of writing, finding, selecting, and learning information is much easier with Evernote.

2. Duplicate notes to increase productivity in meetings

Creating templates and duplicating notes is one of Evernote’s many features.

So it is possible to create meeting minutes templates or calendar templates and duplicate notes so that you can save time and do not have to create everything again.

You will only have the job of filling in the important information as the meeting progresses.

Read more: Evernote: Paper Notes X Digital Notes

3. Create calendars

Finally, use Evernote to create detailed meeting schedules, making sure that each topic is dealt with in a timely manner.

So you avoid wear and tear and eliminate endless meetings.

In this agenda, you can include the objectives of the meeting, the time needed for each of the subjects to be addressed, a checklist with the points of discussion, as well as those responsible for each of the subjects, and a field for general notes.

In the next topic, check three tips about how to increase productivity in meetings using the app and making your meetings faster.

How to increase productivity in meetings using Evernote

With all the benefits that the application can provide, taking notes has become simpler and easier.

Next, check out three tips on how to increase meeting productivity using Evernote.

1. Get the meeting agenda ready to increase productivity in meetings

Many of the meetings require you and your team to discuss project details, important documents, financial data, or effective human resource management.

Usually, these details need to be planned so that everything is discussed in order to resolve any doubts or errors in the processes.

Therefore, before the meeting, leave the agenda prepared to facilitate and make the meeting objective, avoiding losing focus on matters that can be discussed at another time.

Check out a template below.

meeting notes

Create a template that makes sense to you and your team or customers, and include the information as the meeting progresses.

2. Include attachments in your notes

Documents, audios, images. Any file item can be attached to your meeting note.

It means that if you have a contract signed at the meeting, after being signed, you can scan the document and include it in the meeting note, so whenever you need to review or consult any information, you will know how to find it quickly.

Another facility is to record audios.

evernote digital notes

Ask permission from the meeting members and record the entire meeting so that it is easier to remember the details later, or consult some important information.

To do this, just open the note that you want to include the audio, click on the clip at the top of the note, and then “record audio” or “file audio”.

3. Share your notes with the team

Meeting held, it’s time to share the information with the team so that everyone is aware of what was discussed, whether they are or not in the meeting.

To do this, just open the meeting note and click on “share”.

You can email your note link to team members, or simply invite people to access the note.

Very simple, isn’t it?

Use Evernote to increase productivity in meetings at all times

Evernote can be a great ally and can help you not only to increase productivity but also to manage your time more effectively.

Before the meeting

Create a meeting agenda in minutes, share the information with all participants before the meeting begins.

That way everyone will be aware of the issues that need to be addressed.

Besides, it’s possible to place attachments that need to check before the meeting by the members.

You can also include these attachments and share them in a practical way.

During the meeting 

Choose a person to take notes of the meeting. If applicable, scan and include important documents.

They can be made in the application itself, or in the notebook and then scan these notes with a few clicks.

In addition, when determining the tasks, choose those responsible for each task and a date for the execution, as well as delivery deadlines.

An interesting feature is that it’s possible to add reminders that will be sent to each of those involved.

After the meeting

After the meeting is held, each member is responsible for fulfilling their tasks and checking the checklist as soon as they finish.

In this way, it’s easier to monitor the progress of the processes and also leave everything noted for the next performance monitoring meeting and possible decision making.

Finally, learn in practice how to increase productivity in meetings using Evernote in the video below:

What did you think about this content? Leave your opinion in the comments and share this material with your friends.

Take the opportunity to follow incredible videos of Organize na Pratica on Youtube.

Reference material 

  1. Organize na Pratica – Courses
  2. Youtube – Personal and Business Productivity  
  3. Increase your Productivity – Get Results Faster 
  4. How to Automate Asana Tasks creation using Evernote – Zapier
Categories
blog Process

What are the benefits of standardizing processes?

Standardizing processes is an effective strategy for the company. When correctly implemented, it is able to increase results, improve productivity, and promote the quality of the company’s products or services. So, check out in this article, what is standardization, what are the benefits of process standardization, and how to use technology to your favor.

What is the standardization of processes?

In general, the standardizing processes describes the set of rules and standards that govern how employees in an organization must perform a certain task.

It’s about organizing and developing a form of work common to all employees, who understand what is expected of them in each one of the activities. In addition, standardization guarantees the assertiveness and quality of the product or service offered by the company.

what is standardizing processes

Standardization aims to answer the following questions:

  • What is the process and what is its purpose?
  • Who is part of the process?
  • How is the process carried out?
  • What are the functions and activities of the process?
  • Why does this process exist and what is its contribution to the organization?
  • What is the expected result?

Check below how to start standardizing processes effectively, based on these questions.

How to start standardizing processes

The standardization of processes is important, as it guarantees a better way to perform a task. Standardizing means presenting a more effective way to achieve the desired result.

And to start a standardization, first, you need to understand what the process is and what the purpose of the process to that organization. In addition, all employees must participate.

After understanding what your objective is, you need to perform a mapping of the functions, that is:

  • How will the process be done?
  • What are the steps of the process?
  • What are the functions and the activities and who is responsible for each of the steps?
  • How many sectors will be involved?
  • And, finally, what is the expected result of this process?

Thus, during the process, it’s possible to identify failures and make improvements. It’s necessary to measure the performance of the processes and monitor the indicators for an efficient standardization of processes.

But why is process standardization important? Check out the next topic.

Benefits of process standardization

Now that you know what process standardization is and what you need to do to get started, check out the main benefits of process standardization for your company.

1. Allows you to use resources more appropriately

By standardizing, it’s possible to distribute resources more intelligently and with better planning.

That is, when process standardization is applied, it’s easier to predict where resources will be applied and how they can be used.

Another benefit is that managers acquire more security to predict where it is possible to save resources, without spoil the process.

2. Increase productivity

how to boost productivity with the organization of processes

Boost productivity is something that is sought with enormous frequency.

And when you have a good strategic plan, with efficient process management and well-trained professionals, the resources are used correctly and, with that, the production can work in excellent conditions to achieve the results that the company expects.

By standardizing processes, employees work in a more organized way, without having to search for answers to carry out the activities, as everything will be in one place. And with that, productivity is increased.

Also, standardization promotes greater employee performance, and this means reduced waste and the possibility of doing more with the available resources. It eliminates the inefficiency and ambiguity of information and increases not only productivity but also quality.

3. Reduce costs

The cost reduction is a consequence of the standardization of processes.

What does that mean?

That is, by performing an efficient standardization, management is able to predict where to reduce costs to also reduce product prices, attract new customers, and thereby increase profitability.

And not only does it increase profitability, but it also reduces process costs, due to the intelligent use of resources and the reduction of waste.

Impressive, isn’t it?

4. Improves the quality of products/services with standardizing processes

The market is competitive, and it is necessary to use all the necessary resources to attract new customers.

Therefore, the standardization of processes makes the production steps clearer, more objective, and well defined. This way, it is easier to monitor and improve the qualities of the products or services offered.

That is, when performing a standardization, you can check failures and predict improvements in a timely manner, thus increasing customer satisfaction.

5. Facilitates process control

By standardization, the processes become clearer and more objective, and the lack of information is reduced. In addition, by identifying unnecessary steps, it is possible to eliminate them efficiently, in order to optimize the process.

Finally, the activities are delegated to the people responsible, so it is easy to control the process and also the performance of each employee.

6. Improves employee engagement and motivation by standardizing processes

How to start process standardization

With well-defined standards, it is possible to invest in employees well-trained. And an employee who feels valued will work with more engagement and more motivation.

In addition, with standardization, employees are able to visualize what, how, and why it should be done. That way, they will feel more confident when performing the task. And they will be proud to be able to visualize the result.

After all, most activities are the responsibility of employees. And when they receive training compatible with the company’s objectives, it’s possible to count on a productive and focus team.

Therefore, all employees must be informed about the standardization of processes from beginning to end, to avoid doubts, and to make them feel part of the organization.

7. Eliminates failures and provides for improvements

When you are clear about what needs to be done, you perform the activities optimally, avoiding failures, or avoiding having to perform the activities again. And that goes for the whole team.

When performing the standardization, you create a routine for performing the functions, and, with that, you will be able to identify failures in time to propose improvements.

As a result, you increase team productivity and promote efficiency.

Use technology to standardizing processes

In conclusion, investing in technology to manage the company’s processes can result in time and resource savings, and a low cost. In addition to optimizing the results that the company wants to achieve.

With appropriate management software, planning becomes easier and decision making becomes faster. So, invest in technology.

Learn in the video below how to use technology to organize company processes.

Reference material

  1. Youtube – Personal and Business Productivity
  2. Zapier – How to Automate your Business and Gain Efficiency